President Faustin Archange Touadéra has secured a third term in office following last month’s presidential election, according to provisional results released by the Central African Republic’s National Electoral Authority. The electoral body said Touadéra won 76.15% of the vote in the December 28 poll. He was first elected president in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. A constitutional referendum held in 2023 removed presidential term limits, clearing the way for him to run again.
About 2.4 million registered voters were eligible to take part in the election, which was held alongside legislative, regional, and local polls. Touadéra competed against six candidates, though a major opposition coalition boycotted the vote, arguing that the political environment was neither free nor fair. Two opposition candidates, former prime ministers Anicet-Georges Dologuélé and Henri-Marie Dondra, have rejected the provisional results, alleging electoral fraud and irregularities.
International observers reported that voting was largely peaceful, but security concerns persisted. The UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, confirmed an attack in the eastern town of Bambouti near the South Sudan border on election day, underscoring ongoing instability in parts of the country. The Constitutional Court is expected to review complaints and announce the final results by January 20.
